Forgotten in Marriage
by Wisdom's Champion
Summary: After Zeus forces Poseidon into a marriage with Ampthrite, the sea god leaves the council. Follow a goddess as she tries to get her uncle back onto the council, by any means.
1. Chapter 1

I was hunting with my hunters when father called me to Olympus.

We were tracking a large group of hell hounds that had been ambushing travellers and merchants in the main trade route to Athens

Now I wouldn't normally help, as the men in Athens are some of the most arrogant and sexist men I've ever seen; but my favourite sister, Athena, called in a favour and what can I say a favour from the goddess of wisdom and war could be very useful.

However, I couldn't ignore the summons from my father so I left the task to Zoë, my lieutenant.

Father had said the meeting was compulsory for all the Olympian Gods to attend, this could only mean one thing: he was going to gloat.

I had arrived early, as I always do. I find that seeing a god enter helps judge their mood and attitude for the meeting.

Demeter was next, stepping out of a lazy spiral of corn: she's not bothered about what's going to be discussed. If I'm right her daughter, Persephone, just got back from the underworld, that would explain why she doesn't want to be here.

Dionysus followed our aunt, missing his throne in his drunk state: he would pass out any second now.

And so the other gods followed, most looked like they couldn't be bothered with this meeting and were only here because they had to be.

However, Athena looked like she wanted a fight and Poseidon looked majorly pissed.

Not a good combination for when the two have their regular verbal sparring match.

Now we were only waiting for father, he always liked to make a big, dramatic entrance.

And we got quite a performance.

A lightning bolt hit the ground just in front of Zeus' golden throne from which the sky god materialised.

"Let the meeting begin" Father decreed as he sat down.

"I'd like to open the meeting by congratulating Poseidon with his recent marriage to Ampthrite" Father started, a smug look on his face. He had arranged the marriage of his brother and the daughter of Oceanus, claiming it was to improve Olympus' relationship with the titan of the seas but everyone knew the really reason: Poseidon had a child with Hecate, a very powerful child. Zeus didn't like it so got back at Poseidon by forcing him into a marriage to someone he didn't love.

I didn't really like my fathers plan but the child he was worried about was rumoured to be more powerful than most of the Olympian gods themselves.

Still, the Olympian gods, myself included, clapped for Poseidon but we soon stopped when we received Poseidon's angry glare. However it didn't stop Zeus.

He went on and on only stopping when the rest of us felt he'd exhausted the topic and hour ago.

But, of course he then moved onto a different area of attack.

"But of course that's not the only thing we should congratulate Poseidon on, is it?" Zeus said in a sarcastic tone, "How is your illegal _son?"_

Zeus said son like it was the worst insult possible. Though Poseidon didn't rise to it. So Zeus took another jab.

"Isn't his mother that minor titan" he spat on the floor, "of magic? You know, I always thought Hecate was a bit of a whore."

That was when Poseidon shaped.

We could tell because that's when Poseidon broke Zeus's neck.

"Enough brother." Poseidon spat. "I know you arranged my marriage just to spite me! I know you called this meeting so you could gloat. But enough! You can keep your shitty council but from now on sou rule without the sea!"

With that the sea god disappeared in his own personal hurricane.

The mighty Olympian throne room of the gods was silent; except for the quiet groans from Dionysus's unconscious form.

Father, however, soon regained his pompous attitude.

"Well it's not like we needed him anyway."

The sky god had never been more wrong.

Poseidon didn't rejoin the council for the remainder of our time in Greece.

Though truth behold only my aunt Hestia tries to get him back. The rest of us were either too scared about what he'd do to us, or had an old grudge against him, like Athena.

Towards the end, we began to feel the flame of the west move: it was pulling away from Greece.

This being our first time we didn't know what would happen. I wanted so I sort out my sister, the wisdom goddess.

I found Athena in her library, after checking the arena and only find our brother, Ares, lying on the floor, unconscious.

Athena's library was giant, even by Olympian standards, and by giant I mean that even a giant isn't as tall as the shelves in that room.

She was sat in a comfy looking chair with her nose buried in some architecture book, so she didn't notice me approaching her. I decided to let her know I was there, mainly for one reason: I dislike being implied on a spear.

"Hm-hmm" I cleared my throat, Athena's head rising from her book only to start to look at me questionably.

"I came here because I want your opinion on something." I explained. She nodded urging me to continue. I took a breath, bracing myself for what was about to come, "What do you think about Poseidon le-" but I was cut off before I could even finish my question.

As soon as the sea god's name had pasted my lips Athena started to rant.

she brought up every incident that had ever annoyed her, she pointed out all of Poseidon's flaws, and then she stopped. She sighed. And she said something I didn't expect to ever come from Athena.

"But we do need him." She saw my shocked expression and I'm sure she grinned a bit. "I mean he's one of the most powerful gods and he's not a bone headed idiot like our brothers.

I nodded, Poseidon was powerful and was one of the cleverest Olympians. I was pretty sure that was why Athena argued with him: not because she hates him but because she found it fun.

"I agree." I stated, "I think we should have a plan to get him back on the council if things should turn against us." Athena nodded and we started to brain storm.

I always wondered where that expression had come from. It's not like a storm goes on in your brain, well unless you're Zeus. Maybe it came from the fact that Athena, a goddess who does a lot of thinking, came from Zeus's head. That's of topic. What! It's not just demigods that have ADHD.

The first thing we agreed on was it should beg something that spited our father. It was common knowledge that to get a favour from one of 'the big three' you had to piss off one of the other brothers.

Next we thought it should be a marriage, it would make sure the fix would be a more permanent and we were sure that Poseidon would appraise the irony.

Our next decision to make was about who would be married. We started with the person who would link the deal to Poseidon. The sea god himself was obviously first choice, however he was already married so we moved to his sons: Perseus and Triton.

Triton, the younger child, was Poseidon's only godly child with Amphitrite and herald of the seas. Not very powerful so wouldn't be a threat to Zeus.

Perseus, the first child of both Poseidon and Hecate, was extremely powerful. Though what his domains hadn't reached mount Olympus he was rumoured to be as powerful as some of the Olympian gods. He would definitely be considered a threat by the king of the gods.

Needless to say, Perseus was our choice.

So we moved on to who would bind the marriage to Olympus.

"Well obviously it should be one of our sisters." Athena stated, clearly sticking with the annoy-Zeus-as-much-as-possible route.

"Great!" I said, sarcasm dripping from my words. "Now all we have to do is find father's favourite daughter."

As soon as the words left my mouth I realised there could only be two people that fitted all of our requirements: Myself and Athena.

The gaping look n Athena's face told me she knew this too.

"But this is only a back up plan." Athena managed to stutter out. "You never know, old fish-for-brains might come back any day now."

He didn't.


	2. Chapter 2

We were now in Spain.

The flame of the west had moved from Greece a long time ago. And still Poseidon hadn't rejoined us on the council.

Athena and I had thought about putting our plan in to action many times: when we moved from Greece; when Rome began to fall, when the european tribes began to from nations. But we deemed none of these appropriate for the drastic action our plan involved.

All through our time as Romans Poseidon was feared by the people. He sank any child of Zeus or anyone/thing that had any association with his brother that dared to enter his domain. Killing everyone from peasants to emperors, striking fear into the hearts of the fearless hearts of the Romans.

When we became the norse gods, he left us still. He lead long boats astray, leaving viking expeditions to starve, not even taking the time to give them clean, quick and merciful deaths. Again, like the Romans, the sea was feared as an untameable enemy.

But then the tribes that now rules over Europe, began to unify, becoming nations. Soon they began to compete and the most powerful country became clear.

Again the flame of the west moved. But this time we went to Spain.

However, Poseidon still sat in his palace at the bottom os the atlantic.

Spain being a monotheistic country, my father became very arrogant, more so than when he was Jupiter at the height of the Roman empire. He began to think they were only worshipping him as he was the king of the gods.

He started to ignore the council, and none of us were powerful enough to make a difference. This, I must say, pissed off the majority of the gods, from the minor gods to the other Olympians. This forced my hand.

I needed to see Athena.

We needed Poseidon back.

Like that day over two thousand years previous, I found my half-sister in her library which had only expanded with time.

Again, Athena was reading a book, though this time the book was about battle strategy and after a closer look I saw it was it was about navel battles.

"Artemis." She greeted, me without even looking up.

"Sister, I believe it's time ti start our plan" I said, she looked up this time.

At first she looked shocked like she hadn't expected me to say that and to be honest I hadn't expected to be able to say it either, but her expression slowly turned to one of understanding.

Sighing, Athena said, "I agree, Zeus has become too arrogant, he's ignoring the council on all matters, if we don't act quickly father might start banishing 'threats' to Tartarus."

"Yes, and Poseidon's the only one powerful enough to put him in his place" I stated.

Athena sighed again.

"I guess we should finish our plan then. Which one of us will marry Perseus?"

Athena left her question hanging, leaving only silence. Suddenly I had an idea of how to solve it.

"What about a game of chance, fifty fifty? You pick one, I pick the other, the loser has to marry Perseus."

Athena looked interested in my idea and she was visibly glad that she no longer had to chose herself. "But what shall we bet on?" Athena asked.

"Ummmm…." I looked around trying to think of a game to bet on, curse Athena and her technicalities. However I found the answer in my pocket: a drachma.

Looking at the coin I saw that on one side was my aunt Hestia's face and on the other was the rear end of a donkey, her scared animal.

"I'll flip the coin, you call what side will be facing up when it hits the floor, if you're right you win. If you're wrong, I win. Deal?"

Athena seemed to think it over a bit before nodding.

"So what will it be goddess of wisdom? Heads or tails?" I taunted as I flipped the drachma into the air.

As it reached it's highest point, Athena called "Heads!"

We both watched as the coin tumbled throughout the air, flipping over and over.

And then it hit the floor.

The side that show?

Heads.

I, Artemis, goddess of the hun, wild and moon, all round man-hater, was getting married.

Although I was in shock, I could tell Athena was over the moon at the outcome. However, she was tactful enough no to make it obvious.

"So," I said, breaking the silence that had reined since the ciun had landed. "What should our first moves be?"

"Well, we should go and speak with Poseidon first, to ask for his sons hand in marriage."

It was the day after when I met with Athena at the most southernly point of Spain, Gibraltar. Having pulled myself together after a night of crying on my moon chariot, I'd told my hunters that I had business to attend to and that they had to stay at the newly made hero training camp, Camp Half-blood.

Athena was already there when I flashed in, looking out to sea, hair flying back in the wind. I must say it made a very dramatic image, proving she's a child of Zeus.

"How do we do this then?" I asked, not really sure you asked for an audience with the sea god having not really had the need before.

Athena shrugged before turning back to the sea before starting to shout. "Poseidon! Artemis and I need an audience with you."

And then nothing happened, the wind was still howling, the sea still crashed against the cliff we were on.

But then a slight chuckle was heard in the wind, before I felt the familiar feeling of someone else teleporting me.

When I rematerialised, I saw I was in what I presumed was the throne room in Atlantis. I was stunning.

The whole room was lit with a slight blue hue. The light appearing to come from seems of glowing coral in the floor. The room, in shaping, was like the Olympian throne room, but it was more understated version, like the room was being modest. However, like the throne room, there was a feeling of awesome power.

It was then I saw the master of the house, my uncle, Poseidon. It appeared that Athena had come to terms with the throne room before me and was already down on one knee. I quickly followed suit, I felt my cheeks heat up and I was sure my uncle could see a golden blush come from my face.

Poseidon, however, just chuckled at my embarrassment. "It's alright, my niece, I have often feel in awe of this room myself, even after all these years. After all it was designed by the best architect that's ever graced the heavens and the earth."

I suppose I should have expected this, Poseidon and Athena used to always argue, of course Poseidon would try to get a rise out of Athena.

However, Athena didn't argue back, instead she just blushed. This confused me.

"Artemis," Poseidon said, clearly seeing my confusion. "Athena designed my throne room just before I left the council, so I'd never got round to thanking her." He paused, letting me process the information that Athena and Poseidon weren't fighting. "So what brings my favourite nieces to my palace?"

We must have looked ridiculous as Poseidon started to laugh a big, booming laugh that reminded me of him when I was young and he'd come and visit me on Delos with my mother. "What? You are by far the most favourable of any of my brothers and sisters children."

I cleared my throat and prepared myself. "Uncle, I have come to you as I seek to be married."

I think it's safe to say this shocked my uncle, and not much can shock a god as unpredictable as Poseidon. Though he quickly regained his sense of humour.

"Well, I'm sorry to tell you this but I'm taken, so I will have to turn down your generous offer." He said, chuckling to himself, as my cheeks once again turned gold. Even Athena cracked at the gods silly antics.

"I don't believe she meant that she wanted to marry you, Lord Poseidon." Athena said, clearly now trying to stop giggling from the sea gods joke.

"Um, yes." I said, while Poseidon pretended to be hurt by Athena's comments. "I actually wondering if you would let me marry your son."

Poseidon nodded, his face quickly turning serious. "I suppose you mean Triton." the sea god said. But I shook my head.

"Actually, uncle, I was more inclined to marry Perseus." At this Poseidon looked confused, so I went on. "He's your eldest son, and he hasn't got a reputation for womanising, like most other male gods." Poseidon still didn't look convinced, so I went on some more. "Please, uncle, I just want to experience love." I never thought I would have to stoop so low, but it seemed to convince Poseidon.

"Alright, I give you my permission tot marry Perseus." I was just about to thank him when he started to speak again. "However, the final decision is not for me to make, it's for Perseus. So, now I believe you would like to meet him."

I nodded and my uncle summoned my cousin.

I thought I was prepared to meet Perseus, I wasn't.

He was gorgeous, there was no other way of putting it. From his raven black hair to his tanned muscles, he was everything a male god should look like. He was perfect. But the best bit was his eyes.

His eyes, the colour of the Mediterranean sea sparkling in the sun. They seemed to be endless, and I knew that I could spend years looking into his eyes and never got bored of them, maybe even millennia. Looking into his eyes I could see every emotion he was feeling: confusion, surprise, happiness.

I was surprised at the last one, well it's not very often a male god is happy to see me, it usually means I'm going to turn them into an animal.

"Father, Lady Athena, Lady Artemis." Perseus said respectfully, bowing to each of us in turn. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Perseus, Lady Artemis wished to speak to you." The sea god said, winking in my direction. "Lady Athena and I shall leave you two now."

And with that Poseidon guided Athena out on his arm, and I was alone with Perseus.


	3. Chapter 3

I started shuffling round the floor, looking at my feet. What is WRONG with me, this is not how I usually am. Thankfully Perseus broke the rather awkward silence.

"What did you wish to speak to me about, my lady." He said, again bowing his head when he addressed.

"Well, Perseus, you see…" I stumbled over my words, I didn't know what to say. And then Perseus had the nerve to crack a smile, an amazingly beautiful smile, but still he was laughing at me. "Don't you grin at me, boy, I could turn you into an animal in an instant."

This time he laughed. The nerve! It was a wonderful laugh, though, it made the music my twin made sound a bit shit in comparison. By now Perseus was doubled up, laughing, with his hands making a 'T' symbol. "Time out!" he wheezed.

"How dare you laugh at me, I'm an Olympian goddess!" I shouted at him.

At this he straightened up, standing at his full height. It was only now I realised that he towered over my relatively small frame. "If you're an Olympian goddess, then why can't you talk to me properly?"

Damn, he had me my the metaphorical balls with that one. Why couldn't I talk to him? Anyway, Perseus laughing at me seemed to get rid of my nerves so as a way of getting out of his question I asked the one I had originally intended.

"Perseus, as I just told your father, I feel that the time is right for me to experience love." God if I keep saying that Aphrodite will never let me live it down. "And I feel that you would be the best suitor for myself."

Then Perseus did the one think I didn't expect. I thought he would become arrogant, or angry but no he sighed. He SIGHED. Then he began to speak. "I know why you are really here, Lady Artemis."

"Artemis." I snapped, I hated people calling me by my title. "It's just Artemis, none of that Lady crap." At this he just raised an eye brow but he went on.

"As I was saying, I know why you're really here, Lady Artemis." He cracked a grin at the last bit and I glared at him. "I know that you and Athena made a plan to get my father back on the council all those years ago, and I know that you recently lost a bet that means that it's you that's asking to marry me and not Athena."

Well, I'll be honest I hadn't expected him to know that much, I was shocked and I wanted answers. " How do you know all of that?" I demanded.

"The Mist." He said as if it were obvious. I must have looked confuse because he then explained. "I forget, only myself and father know my domains."

"Lady Artemis," he grinned in a cheeky way again. "I am Perseus, son of Poseidon and Hecate, Prince and heir of the seas, God of tides, mist and the Mist."

I took a second to absorb the information before speaking again. "Zeus is going to hate you." I said simply but very seriously.

He laughed, like I'd told a joke: stupid boy. "Yes, he will. However, I'm not worried about Zeus at the moment as he's all but forgotten about me. What I'm worried about is what we might be about to do or not to do."

"Well." I began. "You know the plan?" He nodded. "So you know that I came here to ask you to marry me?" He nodded again. "And you know why I wanted to marry you?" For a third time, he nodded. "Well will you marry me?" This time he shock his head.

This annoyed me.

Why would he turn me down? Is it because I'm not attractive enough? Is it because it's all part of an elaborate plan that may end up hurting himself, his father and his mother? Is it because he's scared of my father?

"It's not any of the reasons that went through your head, I assure you." Perseus assured me. I was about to ask why he rejected me but he cut me off. "It's because I believe that a man should always be the one to propose."

And with that he took my hand and flashed us away from Atlantis.

When we rematerialised I had no idea where we were. I looked round only seeing the sea. I saw I was on an outcrop of rock some distance from the cliff of the mainland. The rock towered above the sea, some fifteen metres above the relentless waves.

"Perseus?" I called, not knowing if he'd left me on a remote outcrop of rock.

"Lady Artemis." A voice called from me. I turned to see the tidal god kneeling with what appeared to a closed clam shell in his hand. Gods I was glad to see he hadn't just left me here.

"What did it tell you about calling me Lady Artemis, it's just Artemis." I scolded lightly.

"Anything for you, my Lady." He countered. He's such a boy!

Perseus then cleared his throat. "Lady Artemis," he smirked before turning serious again. "You would you do me the honour of becoming your husband?"

It was only now that I realised that he was proposing to me.

As he opened his clam shell, the wind picked up blowing my hair back behind my head, the waves began to get bigger and I saw the most beautiful ring. It was a simple silverly band embedded with emeralds, the same colour as Perseus's beautiful eyes. It was finished with an understated diamond, it was cut in such a way that it shone with an amazing light even in the storm we appeared to be in the eye of.

"Yes" I managed to push past my lips, I was still getting over how beautiful the ring was. I looked up, "Yes, Perseus, it would be my pleasure."

As I said that, a wave crash up against the top of the stack we were standing on showering us in sea spray in a very dramatic way: my father would be proud.

"You did that, didn't you." I said, giggling a little. Pursues just shrugged.

"Maybe. Now come on we should tell my father." He went to take my hand but I pulled away not ready to go back to Atlantis.

"Wait, you're okay with this?" I asked.

"Yes."

"But you know that I'm just using this to get your father back on the council."

"Yes."

"And you"re okay with that?"

He sighed, probably tired of my constant questions.

"Yes, I'm okay with it. I've seen the state of Olympus recently. I know that you need my father to knock Zeus down a peg or two and I know that I'm some sort peace treaty for you to get what you what."

I was shocked, never in the history of everything has a man been so selfless.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is," he took a breath, he looked slightly dejected at the prospect of what he was about to say. "I guess that I'm okay with being used as I know it's for the best.

Then it was my turn to be unexpected.

I kissed him.

On the lips.

True, it was just a peck but it was more than anyone else in the history of everything had ever got from me.

"Thank you, Perseus." I whispered in his ear before burring my face in the crook of his neck. "Now why don't we go back to Atlantis."

And with that I felt Perseus flash us back to his fathers palace.

When we arrived back in Atlantis, I saw yet another thing I hadn't expected to see in my immortal life: Poseidon and Athena were talking, peacefully.

From what I heard it was about the pros and cons of some architecture thing, nothing very interesting but, you know, what ever floats your boat.

Perseus cleared his throat to get there attention. As they turned I saw them both break into curious expressions, which was odd as they both knew what had just happened.

"We have news." Perseus declared before taking my hand. "We're getting married."

As he said this Poseidon broke into a huge smile, while Athena's was smaller but sympathetic. Still they both came over to us, Poseidon hugged his son and Athena shock his hand. And before I knew it it was my turn to be crushed by my uncle.

This was definitely new to me. My father had never hugged me as a child and anyone else who tried to hug me normally got a hunting knife to the scrotum.

But this was nice. I could get used to this.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I didn't make a typo when listing Perseus's domains, they are mist, as in the normal kind we can see, and The Mist, as in the magical kind. Sorry for any confusion.**

It had been a day since I'd become engaged.

Today, I was hoping that we would tell my father. This presented the perfect opportunity Poseidon to come to a council meeting.

You see Zeus has a thing about freaking out and killing people when something he doesn't want to happen happens. A good example would be when one of his daughters, particularly a sworn virgin goddess, tells him that they are getting married to his greatest rival's/brother's child. Yeah, that kind of thing really rubs him the wrong way.

This is why Poseidon needed to be there, he was the only one, bar possibly Hades, that could stand up to him in terms of power.

I'd been given permission to go Atlantis whenever I wanted now, so I didn't have to ask Poseidon for permission when I flash into his throne room that morning. When I got there there was only one person in there who I then recognised as Triton, Perseus's younger brother.

"Triton, go tell your father that I'm here and would like to talk to him." I ordered him, I'd decided to keep the reputation of a man-hater, well at least until the marriage becomes public. "And tell him to bring Perseus as well." I added as an afterthought.

He nodded, before swimming out with his twin fish tails, god I'm glad Perseus doesn't have those. I mean image having to sleep with a fish, left alone two! Whoa, I'm getting ahead of myself there.

I only had to wait a few minutes before my fiancé and his father walked in. However, that was enough time for my mind to wonder, I started to wonder why I could breath and why I walking instead of swimming like Triton had, I hadn't come up with an answer so I made a mental note to ask Perseus later.

"Artemis!" Poseidon greeted me, holding his arms out welcoming me into a hug, apparently this was becoming a regular thing. Not that that's a bad thing I quite liked it, it's just I'm still getting used to it.

When Poseidon released me I heard "Lady Artemis." I turned and saw Perseus, looking as gorgeous as ever.

"How many times must I tell you to scrap the title?" I scolded playfully.

"One more time, my Lady." He countered. Now I couldn't think of anything witty to say so I compromised and gave hi a hug.

He must of not been expecting me to do that as he tensed up as I wrapped my arms around him, though he relaxed a bit, hugging me back.

"Uncle, unfortunately I didn't come here to be hugged." I began. "I came to ask you if you'd accompany Perseus and I when we inform my father of our marriage. You know that if we don't tell him, he'll cast me from Olympus, and as much our family annoys me, I do love them." I could tell Poseidon was not quite convinced, so I turned on the puppy dog eyes.

Now the sea god was on the brink of coming back to Olympus with me but he still resisted. I glanced at my fiancé hoping he'd help me out. Thank the gods that Perseus isn't as stupid as most males, as he soon joined me.

"Yeah dad, I'd really appreciate some extra fire power, you know how Zeus can react." He said, making it sound like joke.

Poseidon chuckled, "Yes, our uncle is a bit of a loose cannon. I'll come with you to Olympus, it'll be nice to see some of the other gods again."

That last part shocked me. "Uncle, are you saying that you haven't heard from any of the other gods while you've been done here?"

"Well, Hades and Hestia have visited occasionally. Some of the other sea gods sometimes visit my palace but apart from that, no one really."

"If that's the case I'm going to drag you to Olympus, even if it's just so can socialise." I scolded.

"Gods, you sound like my mother." Poseidon said under his breath.

When we flashed to Olympus, we arrived out side the throne room. Poseidon led the way into the throne room, with myself and Perseus flanking him on either side.

A meeting was being held and it was clear that there was an argument going on. Dionysus was shouting at Demeter, something about grapes being better than wheat. Most other gods were just ignoring what was going on: Ares was sharping a sword, Aphrodite was doing something with her hair, Apollo was picking out a slow melody on his lyre.

However, when we entered all of the gods attention turned to us.

"Brother, you finally decided to come crawling back to us then?" Zeus said, in the most pompous voice I'd ever heard.

"Actually, _brother_, your daughter" Poseidon gestured to me, gods I wished he hadn't of done that. Every pair of eyes turned to me. "asked me to accompany her here. As it appears she has some news she has to tell the council."

And with that, Poseidon marched off to his throne. I hate him so much, how dare he put me in this position.

"Well, daughter. What is this news you have for the council?" My father asked. Well I might as well get this over with before my nerves give out.

"I wanted to tell you that, I'm getting married." I said, becoming more and more awkward as I talked.

"Your getting married, who to? I'll kill them!" My twin, Apollo shouted.

I looked at Perseus, nodded.

"I'm marrying Perseus, son of Poseidon and Hecate." As I said this, the person in question took my hand.

Almost immediately Apollo shot an arrow, I was sure it was going to hit Perseus in face but he missed and by some way too. That's something I've never seen him do.

However, Apollo started to grin like he was really pleased with himself. Then Perseus spoke for the first time. "I think you need to work on your aim, cousin."

"W-what?" Apollo spluttered, "but I hit you. I saw my arrow hit you."

Perseus sighed, "Allow me to introduce myself, cousin, I am Perseus, first born of Poseidon and Hecate, God of tides, mist and Mist."

It was only now that I saw the mist surrounding Perseus and I, he must be protecting us from the other Olympians. You know he really is clever, for a man.

Now it was my fathers turn to make a fuss. "I won't allow any daughter of mine to marry a son of Poseidon, I won't allow it." Gods he sounded, like a spoiled child.

I could see Poseidon was about to attack father for the insult, his trident in hand was starting to glow with godly power. Now I was expecting a brawl between the brothers but fortunately there sister stopped them.

"Now, my husband, now is not the time." Hera said, then she said something I'd never expected. "I actually support the marriage." Needless to say, I was gobsmacked. You know I always thought Hera was a great woman. "It may stop her killing of vast numbers of the male population," I suddenly found I couldn't look Perseus in the eye at this point. "and it may be able to teach her proper place in the world." Okay so I take it back, Hera's a bitch. "However, there should be one demand that they need to meet."

"And what would that be, Lady Hera?" my fiancé asked, it's probably a good think that he asked as I think I would have been very rude to the queen of the heavens.

"Well, young Perseus," Great it seems like that bitch likes my fiancé, "it's very simple." Oh sure it will, something like do one hundred labours or go to tartarus and beat up all the reforming Titans. "All we want is Poseidon to rejoin the council." Well, that really is perfect, have I said how much I like Hera?

"WHAT?" my father roared, he clearly didn't think as highly as I did. But Hera glared him down. They looked like they were having telepathic/facial expression conversations that only couples can do. I think Hera's probably saying _"Agree with me or no sex for a week."_ Yes that would convince father. "Fine,' Zeus said, submitting to Hera, "You can marry if Poseidon rejoins the council."

With that said I turned to Poseidon, giving the whole puppy dog eyes thing. This time he caved quite quickly. "Fine, I'll rejoin the council."

"Good, now Artemis, Perseus, your marriage will be in two months, if you want I will plan it for you." Hera said, she'd clearly taken control of the meeting now.

"We would be honoured for you to plan our wedding, Lady Hera" Perseus said, causing Hera to beam at him.

"Good, why don't you two go now, we'll finish the meeting and I'll come and find the you later so you can tell me what kind of wedding you want."

With that dismissal, Perseus took my hand and we walked out of the throne room, once outside I remembered something.

"Perseus, how come I can breath in Atlantis?"

He looked at me like I'd just come from the moon, which I suppose I had, before saying "The Mist."


	5. Chapter 5

I'd like to say that with Hera planning the wedding I wasn't stressed at all. But if I said that I'd be lying. And lying is bad.

Before my step mother came to find us I decided that I should get to know my husband-to-be a better than I did, so we found a coffee shop and started to talk.

I say 'we', I dragged him in and told him we were going to get to know each other. Thankfully he took it lightly, laughing off what I now realise is a very weird and controlling thing to do.

"What's your favourite colour?" I began.

"Blue, of course, I'm a son of Poseidon. Yourself?" He replied.

"Silver. Your favourite food?"

"Paella , you?"

"Any kind of steak."

We went on like this, I learnt that Perseus prefers swords over tridents and that I shouldn't tell his father that, I learnt that he can't shoot a bow for his life and he claims to be unteachable. Well, I've excepted that challenge so we'll see.

Of course Hera arrived just as I was getting into it. "I see you to are getting to know each other." She began, well we were until you interrupted us, though I didn't say that. "Knowing your partner is always vital in marriage."

She seemed to zone out a bit there, maybe she was thinking that she should have got to know her husband before she married him?

"Anyway," she said as she snapped out of her trance. "Time for wedding plans!"

"Have you even thought about what you what yet." Well I hadn't, I looked at Perseus, his face clearly said he hadn't so I shook my head. "Well, we better start. What kind of colours do you want?"

Perseus began to grin, "Silver." he said, glancing at me.

And I caught on, maybe what we'd just done would come in useful.

"And blue." I added.

Hours later, Hera finally flashed away with promises to have meetings for dress fittings and cake testings in the near future.

As soon as she'd left, I collapsed onto the table we were still at: you knew planning stuff is so tiring. I'm never doing this again, once this wedding is over, I'm not going to plan ever again. I will live life day by day.

"Come on, Lady Artemis, we can't stay here, the shop keeper's already giving us dirty looks." I sighed, when would Perseus drop my title, I was really beginning to hate it. Oh and he was right. "Why don't you go to your hunters, they must have missed you today."

That made me sit up. I'd completely forgotten about them. They didn't even know about that I was getting married. I hadn't gone back to the camp last night going straight to my chariot in the sky.

"Shit!" I shouted, just a little too loud for an Olympian goddess to say such a profanity. "I'm sorry, Perseus, but I've got to go, I need to check up in my hunters."

Then I had an idea, why didn't Perseus come with me, the hunters were going to find out about it at some point. "Why don't you come with me, you'll have to meet my hunters eventually." I said and you know what? He laughed.

Well, it was more of a chuckle, like he was sharing an inside joke with himself. "I'm sorry, Lady Artemis, but I had to face your father and brother earlier today. I'm not sure that I'm in good enough shape to face your hunters. Especially is they are as deadly as I've heard."

I noted the complement, but I ignored it. He was just trying to cover up that he was scared of my hunters. Gods was I going to milk this. "Perseus, are you saying that you're scared of a bunch of girls."

"Umm no. It's just that I've got duties to do you know, god stuff." He said weakly. I gave the I-know-you-don't-really-have-anything-to-do look and he cracked. "Well, they're not just any 'girls' are they? They're the hunters of Artemis, for gods sake."

It was now when I cracked. I started laughing so hard that I fell on the floor.

Once I'd got myself under I stood up and grabbed Perseus's hand. "Come on, you're coming with me." I saw he was about ti protest but I silenced him with a glare.

And now that I'd won, I flashed us to the hunters camp.

Now, it's not very often that I bring a man into the hunter's camp, so I think that there reaction was understandable.

As soon as we materialised, the hunters saw a new strange man holding my hand and, understandably, filled him with arrows.

Now call me picky but I prefer my fiancé without arrows in and after a bit a managed to stop them.

"Hunters!" I called, they stopped shooting at Perseus who looked more like a porcupine than a man. "I'd like you to meet my fiancé." At this point all the hunter re-aimed their bows at Perseus again. And this was a problem.

"Don't shoot him!"

Now this was unexpected. You, see I didn't shout that, one of my hunters did. And then they stepped out.

I'll be honest I had never expected Zoë to defend a man. She had always been one of the most taken with the whole all-males-are-shit idea.

"Is that really you?" she asked, she sounded like she was questioning herself as much as she was questioning the man himself."

"Yes, Zoë, is me." He said in a loving voice. With that Zoë through herself at him. Which of course made Perseus wince with pain as he still had most of the arrows still in his torso.

"Sorry." Zoë, grimacing at what her sisters had done. But then she changed, she started to get angry then she slapped him. Round the face. And boy did it sound painful. "Where have you been, I haven't seen for hundreds of years."

Then I realised I'd been standing there like a lemon, so I made the decision not to do that and do something.

"Time out!" I shouted, making a 'T' symbol. "Explain how you know each other now!"

Zoë began to speak but Perseus cut her off, no one stopped Zoë from talking, not me not anyone, especially not a man. "I'll tell Lady Artemis, Zoë." Perseus said. "You know Zoë's mother is Pleione, yes?" I nodded, Zoë had told me when she first joined the hunt. "Well, I was very good friends with her and with Atlas being who he is as well as being stuck under the sky, I kind of tool on a fatherly role for the Hesperides. Then when Pleione faded, I'd visit them fairly regularly in their garden just to check that they were okay." he paused to check I was following, I nodded to tell him to continue.

"But then, as you know, Heracles came along. Zoë helped him out and as you know he got an apple of immortality. Have you told them what really happened next, Zoë?" He asked my lieutenant. She shook her head. "Are you okay with me telling them?" This time she nodded. "Once Heracles had got the apple he did not simply abandon Zoë as she told you, he decided to use her again in another way." While I understood, it appeared not all the hunters did so Perseus cleared it up. "He raped her. Or at least he tried to." He sent a grin a Zoë.

"I was about to check on the Hesperides, when I flashed in on Heracles ripping Zoë's clothes off. Now no one harms my daughters, whether they are a god, titan, or mortal. So I did the natural thing: I beat the shit out of him. Now I won't go into many details but I made sure that he wouldn't even try to take advantage of another woman anytime soon."

Perseus finished his story, I was satisfied now knowing that he wasn't in anyway romantically involved with my lieutenant, the hunters were grinning like mad men at what he'd done to Heracles. Now he'd gained there respect it would be easier for them to get used to the idea of what was happening.

"Now, Perseus will be staying with us for a bit, treat him with respect and try to keep the pranking to a minimum." Perseus visibly paled at my last comment making most people who saw start to laugh. "Zoë, would you help Perseus put up a tent?"

Zoë agreed before dragging off her adopted father. I could already here plans being drawn up for pranks the hunters were going to pull on Perseus.

Gods I hope they don't kill him, it would be very unfitting for him to miss our wedding because he was in tartarus.

I'd like to say to say that Perseus and the hunters got in like a house on fire, but the tidal waves Perseus used as revenge pranks would have put that out.

Hera came over regularly, asking everything from location, we went for an outdoor ceremony near the sea and a forest, to food, we went for a buffet.

Perseus had been with the hunt for a month now, while most of the hunters were still skeptical about him he had managed to get a growing number of them to trust him.

One of which was a young daughter of Poseidon, his half sister. There friendship sparked like greek fire, which is to say that it didn't even go out when hit by a tidal wave. Perseus taught her how to use her powers over the water and in turn she helped him with his archery.

That was his biggest draw back, pun intended. He couldn't shoot for toffee. He'd aim at a target less than five metres away and miss. Though the arrow is no longer just falling of his bow, it's now going forwards.

By this time, the hunters had grown restless, they needed to go hunting.

Perseus had said he needed to go and check up on his domains and would be back at night fall. This presented the perfect opportunity. It's not that I didn't like Perseus, it's just he'd be a danger to himself and I wasn't ready to share this part of my life with him.

Once Perseus had left, we quickly picked up the trail of a large group of monsters. We ran and we ran, picking off any stragglers that we came across.

Soon we caught up with the main group and what I saw made my blood run cold: Gration, the giant made to defeat me. Despite my nerves and the obvious danger to my life, I ordered the hunters to get ready to attack.

They lined up round the edge of the clearing, bows out and knives at the ready.

Then I gave the order.

In synch, the hunters fired on the monsters walking out of the trees keeping the arch formation. Still as soon as we engaged one thing became clear

It was a trap.


	6. Chapter 6

_It was a trap._

It was obvious really looking back on it. Gration, unlike the other giants, didn't want to kill me, well at least not straight away.

First he wanted to do what no other had done: he wanted to take my maiden hood.

Knowing this I should have known not to engage him directly without any godly back up. Stupid pride, should have known about it. I'm a daughter of Zeus for gods sake, all of his children are ridiculously prideful.

As soon as we began to move towards the group of monsters they formed a phalanx formation, the shields that they were holding stopping almost all our arrows from reaching their mark.

Seeing this, I ordered my hunters to engage the monsters using their hunting knives an idea none of them were fond of and what I now realise was a bad idea. But it wasn't the worst choice I made in that battle: I attacked the giant made to destroy me, on my own.

All through our attack, the giant had stood to one side laughing. He'd taken a few arrows but they weren't going to stop him.

As I got closer to him, I drew my hunting knives. I killed any monster foolish enough to directly engage me, one quick and deadly strike and poof, gold dust everywhere.

"Artemis, my love." The giant jeered. "Have you come to kneel before me? Have you decided that you want me to take your maiden hood? If so I would be more than honoured to do it."

I didn't waste time or energy answering.

I ran fast at the giant's dragon like feet, slashing here and there while avoiding Gration's powerful spear thrusts.

"First I'll impale you with my spear and then with my penis, do you like that idea." the truth was I didn't really like the whole idea of penises in the first place, to have one in me? No that was completely out of the picture. Not that I said all that or that Gration would have obliged to my request.

We carried on in the fight until I got lucky. My knife cut to the bone as I slashed through his calf, crippling him and forcing him done to one knee. While he was down I made quick work of his other leg making sure that he wouldn't be able to move anytime soon. Now all I needed was one of my hunters to stab him and he would be gone and I needed to do it quickly as these giants heal quickly as well.

Shit.

The hunters were surrounded by the monsters, out number ten to one, they stood no chance.

"Do anything and they all die now." Gration threatened from the floor. "Now be a good girl and let them put the chains on."

I looked over to see two dracaenae walking over to me holding a pair of chains that appeared to be made of celestial bronze. I knew if I put those on I couldn't escape, but I couldn't just let my hunters die. So I held out my hands for the two snake women cuff me.

As soon as they were on I felt my power become dampened. "Now let my hunters go, giant." I tried to sound defiant but I think I failed in that aspect.

Of course I was right, the giant started to laugh at me. "No, I don't think so. I feel I could use a little bit of a warm up before taking your maiden hood, don't you agree, Artemis?"

I was about to cry out but someone else spoke first. "No, I don't think you do, giant." It was a male voice but I couldn't put a name to the voice. "Do you want to know why, giant? It's because I'm going to make you return to your father before you can even try."

The person still hadn't revealed where he was but that didn't stop the giant from laughing at him. "Like you could not even Artemis could defeat me, what hope do you have?"

The figure didn't answer which didn't help my confidence.

Suddenly, all of the monsters were lifted off the floor and the figure showed where he was. He wore a pitch black cloak that hid his face though left his mouth exposed. The only other part of his body left exposed was his sword arm in which he was holding a celestial bronze, leaf shaped blade. Then his mouth formed a smile, "I stand a chance because I can do this."

And them all the monsters exploded into dust.

He didn't use a weapon, no one else arrived, he didn't even move. The monsters just died.

Then he started to approach the giant, and call me a hypocrite but I was sorry for the twenty foot tall beast. Any one with enough power to kill four hundred monsters simultaneously is a power I don't want to cross.

"I'll give you a choice: kill yourself or I'll drive you insane with fear before killing you, slowly." The man said.

The giant just laughed, though it didn't sound a self assured as before. "No mortal could do that, I will crush you before you even get the chance." I'll admit that I was sure the giant would but the man changed that.

"Have it your way then." He said it in a deathly calm voice. It sent a chip down my spine all I wanted to do is go away and hide, though I couldn't as I was chained up.

The giant charged the man, who didn't move. The giant brought up his spear to strike the man, who didn't even move his own weapon. I was sure he was dead.

But as the giant drew close a mist engulfed his. Next thing I knew the giant was screaming. The hooded man nodded, as if satisfied with his work before turning to me.

"Lady Artemis, I'm going to cut your chains, is that okay." This surprised me, no man was this polite to me, well except one. Still I nodded and held out my hands.

Soon I felt all my powers come back to me and the chains were off. so I asked what had been bugging me. "What did you do to the giant?"

"I've driven him insane and soon I will kill him slowly, just as I promised." The man replied.

"Yes, but how did you drive him insane?" Gods this man was exasperating.

"Mist." The man said simply. There was only one person who would say such a useless answer as that.

"Perseus?" I asked timidly.

The man took down his hood proving I was right. "Yes, My lady?" Gods still with the titles.

"You saved me." I don't really know why I was being so pathetic, I think I'll blame it on being in shock.

"Of course I saved you, My Lady." Perseus grinned at me. "You're not getting out of marrying me that easily." He joked.

"But why did you save me?" I was still in shock.

"Because I lo-"he seemed to stutter in his words," I - er - I've come to like you, like as a friend, My Lady. And can you imagine what your father would do to me if I could have saved you and didn't?"

Still with the joking, gods, I decided I would get the real answer out of him some day.

"What did you do to the mist that made the giant do that?" I gestured to the still screaming giant.

"I removed it." He said simply, I told him to explain more. "More specifically, I removed it from his memories of tartarus." This still confused me, immortal beings weren't effected by the mist, so I told Perseus to explain properly this time. "All beings are effected by the mist from mortals to primordials. The mist obscures what everyone sees. The more powerful the deity is the less the mist effects them. The only exceptions to this rule are me and chaos."

"So when I took the mist away from his memories of tartarus, he saw what it really was like down there, not even tartarus himself has ever seen that. That is why he is like that." He gestured to the still screaming giant.

"And the monsters exploding, that was you as well?" I asked.

He nodded. "There's liquid in the blood that flows around the monsters bodies. By controlling that I could move them anywhere I wanted. I just stopped their blood flowing effectively suffocating the cells in their bodies, making them die." Cheerful, note to self never piss off Perseus.

"I'll take the hunters back to our camp, and leave you to fulfil his promise to the giant." At that Perseus grinned like a mad man. And as an after note I added "I'll leave Zoë here so you can kill it once you're done." Perseus nodded.

And with that the hunt, except Zoë, and I flashed back to camp.

I decided to stay up an d wait for Perseus to get back with my huntress.

It's not that I didn't trust him, because I did, or at least I thought I did. It's that I wanted to thank Perseus for what he'd done earlier.

And I meant properly thank him, not just say thank you before rushing off.

I'd got a bottle of Olympian wine or two, to help everything on it's way. I was determined to do this properly.

I was going to thank Perseus.


	7. Chapter 7

It was very late when he got back with Zoë. So late that she looked like she was half dead with tiredness.

In the long wait, I'd already drunk a bottle of wine I'd got for the two of us, but hey it's his fault he took too long: you should never keep a woman waiting. Fact.

"And why did you take so long?" I demanded. I guess being an Olympian makes you used to getting things the way you want them so what Perseus did annoyed me.

He ignored me. Instead he talked to Zoë quietly. "Now go to bed, my little girl, you've had a long tiring day."

"Good night, father." She whispered, giving him a hug and receiving a kiss on her forehead. It was now I realised how much Zoë loved her father, no one gave a nickname and got away with it. And kiss her? Get out of here.

Now Zoë was gone I asked again. "Why where you gone so long?" It must have sounded pathetic. I was whining and being slightly drunk I was beginning to slur my words.

"Your pissed off your head." Perseus stated, which I thought was unfair "How much have you drunk?" Gods he's worse than my mother, I'd only had one bottle of Olympian strength wine.

Actually, putting it like that, I think he was closer to the truth, but that's not the point.

"Why didn't you come back sooner?" I was going to get an answer, it was the one thing my drunken mind was set on.

"I was completing my promise." Perseus said, again with the vague answers. I glared at him, and he gave in. "I'd said that I'd kill him slowly. And that's what I did."

But something was still bugging me. "But why did you promise that? Why did you draw out his death instead of ending it quickly?"

I honestly don't know how he put up with me like this, if I was in his place I would have killed who ever was pissing me off. "He captured you. He threatened the hunters. He was going to rape you and let his monsters have a go at your hunters. Do I need to go on?" Considering the points he just made, I now thought he hadn't gone hard enough on the giant.

Then I remembered my original plan: thanking Perseus. Conjuring two wine glasses, I walked closer to him until we were less than an arms reach apart. "I wanted to thank you." I told him, handing him a glass. "For what you did for me and the hunters. Grabbing the bottle I hadn't finished, I poured myself a glass before filling his. "To saving the hunters and kicking giant ass." I said chinking my glass against him. I know, not my most inspired words but I was pissed.

Perseus looked amused and slightly confused but he still drank to my toast.

It was now that my mind started to strain. I was trying to remember every sultry move I'd ever had the displeasure to see Aphrodite pull. Maybe they were going to prove useful after all.

We finished our first glass and we took a seat round the fire we had going but not before I could quickly refilled both of our glasses. Again we finished and again I refilled.

By the end of our fourth glass together, I judged that Perseus was drunk enough to let things happen.

I pushed my self against him, making sure that his arm parted my breasts. Rubbing my body against his was a move I'd seen done countless times by the love goddess.

I thought Perseus was enjoying it so I stepped it up. I sat in his lap, slowly rotating my hips in to his crotch, and by the feel of things I was doing something right.

"Lady Artemis, what ar-" Perseus began to speak but I silenced him with a finger on his lips.

With the evidence from Perseus's crotch, I decided that he was enjoying it so again, I stepped it up: I took off my shirt revealing my naked torso.

You see, when I was waiting for Perseus, I decided to make some steps to make it quicker, this included taking off my underwear from under my shirt and trousers.

Now,, I don't mean to gloat, but my bey is fucking sexy. Centuries of hunting have made it well muscled but not so much that is was ugly, no I was definitely very lean and slim. My boobs? Well, they were a good size and with the bonus of immortality they remained perky instead of sagging like mortal women's. And as for downstairs, from what I've heard the tighter the better and who's tighter than a virgin goddess who's been a virgin for centuries?

But this was when Perseus protested. "Lady Artemis, what are you _doing_?" He shouted. He seemed almost disgusted at the sight of my body.

"I'm thanking you." I said innocently. "Why you don't you like it?"" I gestured at my chest. "Am I not pretty enough?"

"No, my lady, you are by far the most beautiful person I've ever met, I mean-" He looked at my chest before quickly every where but. "Can you please put your shirt back on?" I looked around and saw it had landed in the fire. "Never mind, take mine." Perseus said, taking off his own shirt and pulling it down over my own head.

It smelled, his shirt. It smelled of sweat and monsters. It smelled like Perseus, and you know what I liked it.

"What I mean is that." He paused for a breath, he seemed more relaxed now my shirt was on. "I think we should wait until after we're married and both sober before we go that far. Okay?" He looked like he was really nervous about what I was about to say, I found that really endearing.

"Okay." I slurred I could hardly understand the sound that came out of mu mouth, the alcohol was really having an effect a big effect now.

"Let's get you to bed, shall we?" Perseus said as if he were talking to a young child. Knowing I could hardly speak now, I didn't argue I just nodded my consent.

Perseus lifted me from his lap, which I now realise I was still sitting in, and started to carry me to my tent. He took me into my tent and put me in bed, hell he even tucked me in, it was like I was a small child.

But as he began to leave, I suddenly got scared. Maybe it was the alcohol talking but a burst out. "Don't leave me." This time it was just recognisable as words and it made Perseus turn in the door way.

"Are you sure?" He asked, I nodded. So he walked back in the tent, but instead of getting in the bed with me he sat in the chair next to it. This annoyed me.

I made a wild, drunken grab at his and managed to get a hold on his belt. With a hold on him I dragged him to the bed.

"Alright, I get it." He protested, batting my hand from his belt. He climbed in next to me, though it wasn't close enough, this time I went to him. Snuggling next to him, I liked the warmth he gave out. Resting my head on his chest I drifted off to sleep.

"Good night, Lady Artemis." I heard him whisper as I went off into Morpheus's realm.

The next morning I woke up feeling the most comfortable I'd ever felt but with the worst headache I'd ever had.

The events of last night began to come back to me. So far all I remembered was waiting for Perseus and drinking a ridiculous amount of wine.

Then something distracted me from mu musings: my pillow was wriggling. I opened my eyes to see what was causing it.

It's safe to say that what I saw shocked me.

A male chest. A very defined male chest, to be precise. It took all myself control not just to kill whoever the chest I was lying on belonged to. I let my eyes travel up the persons chest up to their face.

It was Perseus. And then all my memories from last night from returned. Gods it was embarrassing. I really hoped that Perseus didn't remember it, especially the bit where I took my top off.

I looked up again and saw his eyes open. He was awake. I thought now was the best time to ask if he remembered.

"Can you remember what happened last night?" He nodded. "All of it?" He nodded again. "Do you mind if what happened never leaves this tent?" He shock his head, thank the gods. If Apollo found out he's try to kill Perseus and then tease me for the rest of my life.

I sat up and Perseus got out from the bed, he began to walk to the door but paused just before he left. "About what you said last night. You are beautiful, never forget that and don't let anyone else tell you other wise."

And with that last bit of wisdom he left, leaving me feeling a bit happier about what had happened the night before.


	8. Chapter 8

It was now only a month until the wedding.

I was in the final dress fitting. Hera, Athena and Aphrodite were with me. I really only needed Aphrodite but I needed the moral support.

You see, it had finally hit me. I'm getting married, pledging myself to a _man_ for the rest of my life. A man who would most likely take my maidenhood, something I'd kept and prided myself on for my entire existence and with it my hunters. The hunters was an idea based on being an immortal virgin, if I wasn't a virgin anymore the hunters would be forced to disband.

Up until this point, I'd been able to hide this behind opinions that I was doing what was best for Olympus as a whole, which I still was, but now my hunters seemed like a bigger priority.

I mean what would happen to them? Alone in the world. Without the protection of the group they would definitely be forced into marriage by some spanish man or be raped by some pig.

Any way, back to what I was doing.

Aphrodite had made the dress for me and I have to say it was stunning.

It was a simple, white ankle length dress. It had some lace around the shoulder but that was it. Simple but elegant.

It's safe to say I loved it. It wasn't too Aphrodite-ish. It didn't show to much skin and only hinted at my body underneath. It was very me.

Hera and Athena were coo-ing about how beautiful it was, and they thought I'd found the perfect dress for me. I suppose I knew it was all just reassurance to stop me from running before the ceremony had even started.

I'd picked Athena to be my maid of honour as she was the only other person that knew why I was doing this and because she was my best friend. It was needless to say she was excited, who knew that Athena was such a sucker for this kind of things.

I'd asked Hera to lead the ceremony for us, but she really didn't need to be here. We'd never really got along, you know with my dad being her husband and her not being my mother thing. I didn't need her to support me for this, I had Athena for that. Aphrodite had designed my dress. But then I suppose marriage was her thing.

Now things started to go wrong.

An iris message appeared. Perseus was on the other end with a hand over his eyes.

"Can I look?" he asked, I was about to say that of course he could. Why wouldn't he allowed to look at me, I was fully dressed. But Hera seemed to think differently.

"No!" She shouted "You can't see the dress." She then shoved me behind the curtain I had changed behind. I was surprised the dress didn't rip and by the look on Aphrodite's face, so was she.

Once behind the curtain, I poked my head around the curtain, so I could see who I was talking before I told him he could talk.

"Um, well it's about my father." He said looking anywhere but me.

"What is it Perseus." I'd cut in as I wanted to skip the bull crap he was about to spurt.

"My father has called me to war." He said, I was shocked and he must have taken my silence as a sign that I expected more of an explanation. "Well, you see since his return to the council he's seen that Zeus has become very arrogant and decided that he should knock his brother down a peg or two. So my fathers plan is to shift the power of the gods."

This, though it had cleared up why, shocked me again. No single god could move where the flame was. It was all based on mortal power and their beliefs in us. Poseidon couldn't just move us.

"Father believes that if the spanish are defeated in battle by another nation the flame will move." Perseus said, answering my unasked question. "And luckily for him he has the perfect opportunity. Spain is sending an armada against England, something about not worshiping the gods properly." He started mumbling towards the end, shaking his head as if he thought it was a stupid, which it was.

"Before you go Perseus, can I talk to you privately?" This of course was not a question for Perseus to answer. It was a polite demand for the others to leave. Thankfully the goddesses present were not as oblivious as my fiancé, who said that we could.

"Perseus." I took a breath, gods I was nervous. "Be careful out there."

Perseus laugh quietly to himself, "Lady Artemis, I'm always careful. The spanish are only mortals." He smiled reassuringly, making me instantly suspicious. They obviously didn't just have mortals there. But I decided to not let on that I knew: never let your enemy, or fiancé, know all your secrets.

"Okay," I submitted, "But don't let it drag on too long. I don't want to walk up an aisle to find no one there." I joked. However, as soon as I said that, I started to worry about just that happening. What would happen if I walked up the aisle only to find Perseus's corpse.

However, Perseus smiled at my joke. "Don't worry, my Lady, you won't get rid of me that easily." And with that he swiped his hand through the mist, ending our conversation.

Well, this is great, now not only do I have to worry about getting married, having my maidenhood taken from me and the end of the hunters, but now my fiancé's going to war.

Great.

We hadn't really heard anything.

The Spanish fleet had left a couple of days ago and had been expected to arrive off the coast of England just yesterday. But there was no news.

Perseus hadn't been in contact with again. I hoped that it was because he was busy and not because he was injured/dead. Gods, I should stop worrying. He's a god himself, a god who can defeat a giant by himself. I shouldn't worry but still, I am.

I mean, if Perseus dies or gets fatally injured Poseidon might leave the council and all this would be wasted.

That is obviously my main reason for worrying.

A council meeting had been called about the battle, though nothing really happened. Zeus wasn't even worried about the spanish loosing. In fact he spent a lot of time boasting about how the english were going to crushed by his spanish subjects.

The only upside was seeing the gleam in Poseidon's eye grow when he excepted the challenge.

I wanted to speak with the sea god once the meeting was over but he telepathically told me that it would be too suspicious if I went to Atlantis as Poseidon and Perseus weren't supposed to interfere with mortal conflicts.

So I had returned to my hunt worrying about my fiancé.

When I got there I met with Zoë and she asked about her father, and that just made me feel worse: I was letting my lieutenant down, I was letting my sister in arms down.

I was now just under two weeks from when Perseus messaged me about him going to war and I still hadn't received any news.

I had had enough.

I was going to get news by some means even if it meant going to the battle field myself.

Leaving Zoë in charge of the hunt, I went to my palace on Olympus to get some privacy from prying sky gods. Once in relative safety of my palace I sent an Iris message.

"Oh Iris, goddess of the rainbow, please accept my offering." I said, before throwing a drachma into the mist I had created. "Show me Perseus, god of tides, mist and The Mist." I requested.

It looked like Iris had accepted my offering as an image started to form.

It showed me a man wrestling with a wheel of a british ship shouting orders at his crew. The problem was that this man didn't look like Perseus. Still Iris had never let me down before maybe this man could tell me where Perseus was.

"Boy!" I shouted through the message. "Tell me where Perseus is!" I demanded.

This got the man's attention and when he saw me he dropped to his knee. "My lady Artemis, to what do I owe the pleasure?" The man asked and I immediately knew who it was.

"Perseus?" I asked hesitantly.

The man cracked a smile. "Do you mean to say you don't recognise me, my lady?" He seemed to think it was funny, but he stopped smiling when his ship lurched to one side. "With all due respect, my lady, why are you messaging me?"

"Why am I messaging you? Maybe because I haven't heard any news. I didn't know if you were okay, I didn't know if you'd been injured, I didn't know if your idiotic plan was working." It later occurred to me that I sounded hysterical, and knowing that I feel sorry for Perseus. Still he seemed alright about it.

He reached out and pulled me close to him, holding me in his embrace.

Now I didn't understand this either. We were talking to through a Iris message and then we were hugging. I did the natural thing and freaked out.

I pushed myself away from Perseus, then I tripped over some rope on the floor of the ship.

"How did I get here?" I shouted. I imagine that I looked rather stupid, gaping at my surroundings, stumbling around.

"Mist." Perseus said cryptically. I was about to shout at him for being so vague, but he interrupted me. "I was making a joke, my lady. As you know mist is one of my domains." I nodded, of course I knew that. "And you also that Iris messages use mist to send messages." I nodded, of course I knew that. "Well, the simplest way of saying this is that I pulled you through the mist."

I didn't know that but it sounded logical, not that I really knew what he was on about.

"So how's this battle going then?" I asked, moving the subject from my hysterics.

"It's going well, the spanish are retreating and we're following picking off the stragglers. We have definitely won this battle." Perseus said, a small smile appearing on his face. "It'll be finished in about four days." He estimated confidently.

"It better be finished in less than a week. I won't have you miss our wedding for some stupid battle." I said.

Perseus, of course, didn't notice the underlying threats and laughed. "Don't worry you won't get rid of me that easily."

I was about to flash out but one more question occurred to me.

"Why do you look like that?"

Perseus looked down at himself, as if he only just noticed. "I'm undercover." He said, to my amusement. What a stupid thing to say. "No seriously, I'm posing as a mortal, called Francis Drake. Father wanted me to lead the attack but I'm not allowed to interfere officially so I've manipulated the mist to make it look like I'm a mortal."

This shocked me. Poseidon really wanted this, then. If he was prepared to order his eldest son to break the ancient laws. Though if anyone could get away with it.

I then said my good byes before flashing back to the hunt.

Once there I called Zoë over.

We went over what had happened in the hunt while I was gone. There hadn't been any monster attacks, so my hunters had stayed at camp practicing their archery for the most part of my absence.

Then Zoë asked where I had been. I explained how I'd gone to check on Perseus, I told her how the war was going and that Perseus was posing as a mortal.

"In short, your father is an idiot." I told Zoë.


	9. Chapter 9

I was pissed, massively.

My idiot fiancé, who'd assured me that he'd be back to me within a couple of days, still hadn't come back from war. Though we'd received word that the many battle was over.

The Spanish had lost dramatically, their entire fleet being defeated an english fleet less than half the size. With the spanish defeat I could already feel the flame of the west pull away from Spain.

Father, of course, was trying to reverse the tide. All of his efforts were unsuccessfully and something soon became clear. He was scared that once we moved he wouldn't be the 'all powerful' god he thought he had become. Despite this, he should have he couldn't reverse the tides. The tides were Perseus's domain.

I was with the hunt, though under strict orders not to do anything remotely risky, as I was told that I had to be uninjured for my wedding day.

Stupid rules.

And why didn't they apply to Perseus. He was at war, for fucks sake. How much more risk can you be at.

Zoë was with me all the time, behaving more like my personal body guard than my lieutenant. Still, she seemed slightly more worried about my wedding than I did and that confused me. Why would Zoë be more worried than me, I was the one giving up all my principals, I was the one who was 'willingly' giving myself to a man.

Despite this, it also made me feel good. It reassured me that someone did care, that I wasn't alone in this.

Still, it was annoying.

Someone following you every where: it would get on anyone's nerves.

She'd kept this up for well over a week now and I wanted an answer for why she was doing it.

Needless to say, I took a direct approach.

"Why are you following me around, Zoë" I asked her, my tone was one that I usually reserved for boys. It was one that would have even the bravest maidens running.

But Zoë wasn't your average maiden. She stood her ground and stood up straight to her full height, which was quite a lot taller than my current twelve year old form. This also annoyed me.

"I'm following you, Lady Artemis," She said, stressing the syllables in my name while looking down at me, making me feel very small and insignificant. "because I think that you're going to run but I won't let you do that to the man that looked after me for so long: I won't let you hurt my father like that."

I must say I admire her loyalty to her father but did she really think that low of me. Did she think that I'd be low enough just to leave Perseus waiting at the alter.

That's if he made it back from that stupid war to be standing at the alter that is.

"I'm not going to run, Zoë." I reassured the huntress. "I'm just worried about Perseus. I haven't heard if he made it back or not and I just don't know what to do now, I've never really payed attention to all that love crap in Olympus and now it's me who's at the centre of the shit and it's just about to hit the fan."

Zoë smiled sympathetically at me. Before her brow creased, as if she was in deep thought. "Now I'm not sure if I should be the one to tell you this but it's clear you need to know this." She said, before taking a deep breath. "The sea gods have a tradition, the couple that are going to be wedded are separated for the last two weeks before their wedding." I was about to cut in about how stupid that was but Zoë cut me off. "It supposedly tests the resolve of both people in the relationship, though I believe it was born because Oceanus wanted some 'last nights of freedom' from his soon-to-be-wife."

This was worrying, now I knew Perseus was out whoring himself before being trapped with me for the rest of his immortal life. It was only now that Zoë seemed to realise what her words had meant.

"But father wouldn't do that." Zoë said, scrambling for words. "I believe that my father has never had an intimate relationship with anyone. And I think that he is… he is … is saving himself for marriage." I internally I laughed at my lieutenant, it was usual for one of my huntresses to be awkward when talking about intimate activities but Zoë was now talking about her father as well.

Gods I'm glad I'm not in her position, though I doubt my father 'saved' himself for Hera.

"I know, Zoë, but can you blame a woman for worrying?" I said, trying to get her sympathetic so she'd let up on me.

"No I can't." Zoë said, "Come on the hunters should have dinner ready now." And with that last note, she dragged me to the fire the hunters were cooking on.

The hunters seemed to sense my worry as they were silent as they ate. This never happened.

When ever the hunters ate together they always talked, shouted and generally made more noise than anything else I'd ever heard. They interacted like a family, or at least what I think a family should be like, the Olympians hadn't set a very good example for myself. They traded jokes and jibes, bringing up stories of hunts where a good kill was made or when it went comically wrong.

It was normally my perfect family.

But not today.

Today it was quiet. There weren't any jokes, no funny stories and I couldn't take it.

Leaving my meal unfinished, I left the circle we'd formed around the fire. No protests were made by my hunters. I then stalked off to the archery range, shooting always relieved stress.

At a distance of one hundred metres, not even I would normally expect to get a bulls eye every time, but now I was, hell I was even splitting the occasional arrow. And this, instead of the usual stress relieving goodness, made me feel worse. Here I was on the best form of my immortal life and I wasn't allowed to go and take advantage of it.

Stupid wedding.

It was now the day before my wedding.

At this point I'd like to say that I wasn't stressed at all and I was approaching married life with a huge smile on my face. But that would be lying, and lying, as my mother taught me all those years ago, is a bad thing.

The truth is I was stressed. I was biting peoples heads off at every opportunity. Every time something didn't go the exact way I wanted it to, which is to say everything as I didn't really want to be married, I shouted at someone. My dear _younger_ brother, Apollo, barely survived the encounter.

Though the scared-shitless look on Apollo's face did make me feel slightly better.

Athena, my maid of honour and partner in crime for this scheme of ours, was the only one brave enough to stick around. She kept 'reassuring' me talking about how I was doing this for "the good of Olympus" and how it was "leading to a better world" stupid wisdom goddess all this was leading to was a severely pissed off moon goddess.

Despite all my complaints, the wedding prep was actually going well. My dress was perfect, the huntresses had all consented to wearing dresses for the occasion. My mother, Lady Leto, had agreed to keep any men away from them. And Zoë had agreed to be my bride's maid.

On the topic of Zoë, after that day when I'd confronted her she'd stopped following me around, so apparently she trusted me not to bolt, not that it hadn't crossed me mind.

She'd also gone to see her father a couple of days ago, something she was very happy to do, whether it was to get away from a very stressed me, or that she wanted to see her father, I don't know but I'm inclined to the second of those options.

Zoë wouldn't tell me exactly what happened when she'd got back but she assured me that everything was going to plan at the other end of things. She also saw fit to tell me that she was pretty sure the only person more stressed about the wedding than me was Perseus.

It was now about six in the evening, and I was pissed out of my mind at people in general so I decided to turn in early. Besides, I felt like I hadn't slept in days, though that probably was because I hadn't.

I woke up early the next morning, like before my brother-even-bothered-to-start-his-sun-chariot early. And I learned something.

I learned that it was possible to get even more worried.

It was actually happening, I was getting married.

All those years ago, I never really thought of the fact that I might have been the one to marry Perseus, it never occurred to me that it would be me in this position.

And, like an arrow in a target, it really hit me now.

In less than twelve hours I was going to be married to a man. Joined forever to someone I despised. In less than twenty four hours I would lose my maiden hood, the hunters would be disbanded and my entire reputation as an Olympian goddess would be in taters.

The rest of my life was in the hands of a man, a man who didn't love me and was only marrying me because he wanted his father to be back on the Olympian council. Gods what did I get myself into.

I tried to distract myself, I shoot some arrows, I went running, Hades, I even tried putting on some make-up.

Needless to say that make-up was an epic fail and I soon gave up trying to distract my self.

Then the worst thing happened Athena came in.

"Come on Artemis, it's time to start getting ready."

**AN: I'm having a little bit of a block at the moment so if any of you guys have any ideas on where the story should go leave then in the reviews and I'll try to incorporate as many as possible.**


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